I am just back from the SPMA meet where all the top finisher were wearing the latest generation tech suits,mostly B-70s(or were named Jeff Commings.)I have here to for been in favor of the suits,but now I am not so sure.First,they eliminate the old bench marks.I went my fastest 100m BR in 5 yr in my LZR,but it was only .3 sec faster than I did untapered 5 wk earlier in my first swim in the LZR.So was my swim good or not,I'm not sure.Also,instead of focusing on technique or pace I found myself ruminating over aspects of the suits,how many more swims did the suit have,is it the right size,was the reason I didn't get better results from my B-70 because it was too big?etc.The B-70 has somewhat mitigated the "too expensive,not durable" problem,but for how long.
Lets say a company comes up with a suit that is much faster,say 4 sec/100.Further that it is very expensive(say $1000) lasts 4 swims and is very hard to make so that quantities are always limited and the fastest way to get one is to bid up to $3000 on ebay. Now lets say your nemesis has one,or that getting one is your best chance to get TT or AA or a ZR or WR,or that your child is close to making JO cuts,or finally beating his/her nemesis etc. Is it worth it and where does it stop?
Former Member
Are you really that stupid or is it an act?
Geek- I vote for the first choice
Dolphin 2 - I suggest you drive down to Berkley and climb up a tree and start a protest against the suits. When the time comes for you to return to earth you can apply your knowledge repairing elevators to help you.
You have no idea once again what you are talking about.
Kids don't want to take PE because of tech suits?
Can you connect the conflict in Gaza to tech suits?
Perhaps the Detroit automaker's problems are caused by tech suits.
What else?
me too. but i lament over the glory days of campy super record as the gold standard ahhh....rat trap pedals and leather hairnets....
(i left the second part just so the word dipdong appears in another post)
I'm pretty sure that Campy Super Record is still the gold standard, although Shimano has taken a huge bite out of their market share with performance nearly its equal and a much smaller price tag! Although Campy is still the only 11 speed manufacturer (of the major variety).
And just so I'm not guilty of abetting this threadjack:
In every sport at levels other than elite, people with the money to do so, can buy speed and/or performance. Go to any amateur bicycle race and chances are you will see a huge range of equipment. Some will ride aluminum Treks with Shimano 105 and there will be others with carbon Pinarellos with Dura Ace or Campagnolo Super Record.
The point is, that if you're getting beat by someone with superior equipment, you either change your training to get faster or you try the superior equipment to close the gap. If it's important enough to you and you have the resources, you do both!!!
And just so I'm not guilty of abetting this threadjack:
In every sport at levels other than elite, people with the money to do so, can buy speed and/or performance. Go to any amateur bicycle race and chances are you will see a huge range of equipment. Some will ride aluminum Treks with Shimano 105 and there will be others with carbon Pinarellos with Dura Ace or Campagnolo Super Record.
The point is, that if you're getting beat by someone with superior equipment, you either change your training to get faster or you try the superior equipment to close the gap. If it's important enough to you and you have the resources, you do both!!!
This is a good post, really good.
a bike head should know the difference between campy record (the current gold standard) and campy super record which has been out of production for about 20 years.
but (and here is the difference) shimano, campy, trek, colnago etc must make their improvements to their equipment fall within parameters established by bicycle racing orgs..... not the other way around. another fact is professional cyclists sometimes have access to equipment that will never be available on the amateur circuit (anyone remember the 50 thousand dollar track bikes raleigh built for the us olympic team 20 years ago)
I am well aware of the difference, but Campy Super Record is back and is at the top of the Campy lineup.
www.campagnolo.com/.../item_cambioSR11cor_catid_12.jsp
I would agree with you about the stuff available 20 years ago to only pros. But those days are gone. If you have enough money, you can buy any bike you want. You can ride lighter stuff than the pros ride because they have a minimum weight limit. With the widespread availability of small scale custom frame builders, those sort of bike are available to anybody (anybody with money of course).
Your point is well taken that FINA let Speedo and the other manufacturers run all over them and the way these suits were approved probably wasn't aboveboard.
Thanks Geek, but people are going to start talking!:hug:
People need to stop posting well reasoned things. It's disrupting my resolution for 2009. Then, I've discovered that (She)Puff, the Poem Maven and Country Ellie Mae are sharing a cuddle sack in Auburn. Why can't we all just NOT get along like the good ole days. Even Chaos is kindler and gentler.
People need to stop posting well reasoned things. It's disrupting my resolution for 2009. Then, I've discovered that (She)Puff, the Poem Maven and Country Ellie Mae are sharing a cuddle sack in Auburn.
Another speedy forumite (from a rival MN high school, no less) is also shacking up with us.
I've warned Elise to leave the 1950s cookbook at home. We need to pay sharp attention and make sure the pool gets measured correctly. Oh wait, that's (S)he-Puff's job as she's getting up early to swim the mile while the rest of us lazy no good sprinters sleep in.
Oh, we will all be clad in tech suits.
they will save that for a video...master's gone wild
(S)he-Puff and Elise are (why? lol) bringing their husbands. But Heather R. and I will no doubt sit around and braid each other's hair while discussing how we are abject failures as domestic goddesses.
With the gaggle of female forumites in attendance, Wolfy will be sure to reconsider coming ...
bottomline is:
If you're trying to swim as fast as you can and you don't wear a tech suit
you're an idiot.
100% couldn't agree more.
There is no debate on any level that you will swim faster wearing a suit such as the B70 or LZR.
If you choose to compete and wish to be as fast as you possibly can be and have access to approved technology...but choose to not use and believe you will be just as fast if not faster without it...then yes you qualify as an "idiot"...whether your in the pool, on your bike, in your car, on the track of flying a plane it's all the same.
